The festival is proud to announce The Bone People as our first Great Kiwi Classic in a new initiative delivered in partnership with the New Zealand Book Council and culminating in a giant, free ‘book club’ discussion of the text at 4.00pm on Sunday 18 May. Author Keri Hulme will travel from her West Coast home to take part in the event. As part of the selection process for deciding on the 2014 Great Kiwi Classic, hundreds of New Zealanders from around the country engaged in Facebook conversations about their favourite New Zealand books.
Another of New Zealand’s literary heroines, Eleanor Catton, talks with broadcaster John Campbell about writing, storytelling and what success means, in the ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre on Saturday 17 May at 5.30pm.
Renown for his gritty depiction of the underworld in his novel Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh’s visit coincides with his new work, The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins. There is a meeting of Middle Eastern minds with Egyptian journalist Yasmine El Rashidi, Iraqi-born popular scientist and broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili and religious scholar Iranian-American Reza Aslan. With a career spanning more than 40 years, Australian Living Treasure Michael Leunig is one of the world’s most popular political and cultural cartoonists. Everyone’s favourite Scottish philosopher, Alexander McCall Smith is a generous and entertaining speaker. The prolific writer and former professor of medical law has written hundreds of books for adults and children with his No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series selling more than 20 million copies worldwide. Huw Lewis-Jones takes us to Everest in 1953 using the original photographs from the expedition; Jeremy Scahill looks at America’s covert operations; Frank Dikotter reveals the horrors of mid-twentieth century China; and literary prize-winners Adam Johnson, Eimear McBride and A.M. Homes introduce us to their stunningly crafted fictional worlds. Few can talk about North Korea – arguably the most secretive nation on earth – better than defector, Jang Jin-sung. The former high-ranking propaganda official for the late Kim Jong-il reveals the nation’s innermost secrets in his newly published memoir Dear Leader. Hugely entertaining Danish/British writer, presenter, comedian, actress and producer, Sandi Toksvig currently presents The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4 and 1001 Things You Should Know. ”
Local contemporary fiction writers are out in force this year with Nicky Pellegrino toasting Italy at Toto restaurant at noon on Friday 16 May; Jenny Pattrick, Owen Marshall and Fiona Kidman talking over tea and cake at The Langham on Saturday 17 May at 2.30pm; and the ever-sassy Sarah-Kate Lynch entertaining with broadcaster Petra Bagust on Sunday 18th at 2.30pm. Elizabeth Knox talks about her last year’s Mortal Fire, which was a finalist in the LA Times Best Book Awards and her latest, Wake. Duncan Sarkies and musician Sean O’Brien entertain in an hour of music and storytelling celebrating Sarkies’ new novel The Demolition of The Century. Artists and writers become even better friends at the 2014 Auckland Writers Festival. Lauded Kiwi sculptor Greer Twiss celebrates his just-published monograph on Sunday 18 May at 11.45am at the Auckland Art Gallery; central Australian artist and writer Rod Moss shares his fascinating world with us, including his close friendships with the Aboriginal families at Whitegate, an Arrernte camp on the outskirts of Alice Springs; and New Zealand artists Cliff Whiting, John Reynolds and Yvonne Todd drop in for intriguing conversations. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Thursday 20 March. Find out more about how to buy tickets.